CAPITOL — An Idaho House committee has voted to advance legislation that would require public schools to observe a moment of silence at the beginning of each school day.
The proposal, introduced by Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, in the House Education Committee, calls for 60 seconds of silence that students could use for prayer, meditation or reflection.
WATCH: Proposed bill would require 60 seconds of silence in Idaho classrooms
"They saw the beauty of this in those 34 states where they've seen improvement in demonstrative behavior and results in the classroom," Skaug said. "The silence isn't religious you can pray, you can meditate or just think about your day and it's not to be any instruction from the teacher except what's in the bill, a moment of silence."
Currently, 34 states allow or require prayer, moments of silence, meditation or reflection in schools. Idaho could join that list if the legislation advances through the full Legislature.
After a brief debate over the timing of the moment of silence, the committee decided to keep it at the start of the school day and voted to print the bill, allowing it to move forward in the legislative process.
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